Knitting With Beads

Add sparkle and shine to your lace! Laura Nelkin shows you how easy and rewarding it is to incorporate beads into your knitting projects.

Beads add color and flair to knitted garments, accessories and jewelry. Laura's back to show you how easy and rewarding it is to incorporate beads into any knitted project. Begin with a simple cuff, then progress to Laura's Accola shawl. You'll learn how to select the right beads and add them to any design. She demonstrates on her popular Clarus shawl pattern. Along the way, you'll learn how to create nupps, place beads in different locations on or between stitches, and work in both lace-weight and fingering-weight yarn. The two shawl patterns included free with this class can be worked in either type of yarn, and in small or large versions.

Lesson plan

Lesson 1. Introduction

Laura Nelkin is back with a wonderful addition to your knitting: Beads! You'll take a look at the three projects you'll make in this class and learn about the Craftsy platform.

1:16:55

Lesson 2. Techniques

Get help choosing the best beads and yarn for your projects. Then learn three techniques for placing beads. You'll be introduced to nupps and how to fix mistakes.

36:55

Lesson 3. Pioneer Cuff Part 1

Learn to knit a fashionable cuff bracelet! Practice your new bead knitting skills as you begin this small project.

18:31

Lesson 4. Pioneer Cuff Part 2

In this lesson, you'll finish the Pioneer Cuff, changing it from a flat piece of knitting into a bracelet. Bind off, block and add clasps to your cuff.

39:25

Lesson 5. Accola Shawl 1

Learn the basics of choosing yarn and beads, and work up a swatch, which is an important element of any lace project. Laura designed the Accola shawl just for this class.

30:42

Lesson 6. Accola Shawl 2

Now that you have the basics down, begin knitting the Accola. Follow along with Laura row by row as the lace pattern develops. Complete lace charts are included.

1:00:22

Lesson 7. Accola Shawl 3

Create the border and learn to shape the shawl's center panel. Laura shares tips on how to keep track of your place in the pattern and how to pick up stitches.

36:46

Lesson 8. Accola Shawl 4

Time to unzip your provisional cast-on and add the top edging and other finishing touches. Laura also reviews blocking, an important step in any lace project.

22:23

Lesson 9. Clarus Shawl With Beads

The lovely Clarus shawl is a familiar favorite to Laura's students in Mastering Lace Shawls. You'll learn how to add beads to this included pattern.

30:56

Lesson 10. Bonus: Adding Beads to Other Patterns

Once you know how to knit with beads, you'll want to add beaded touches to your other projects. Laura demonstrates on the feather-and-fan and leaf stitch patterns.

I took this class to add an extra element into my knitting and found out that it was so much more! The class is great, the patterns are beautiful, and the teacher is wonderful!
Not only is Laura Nelkin full of knitterly wisdom, but she freely shares it with those in the class. Hints and tips that are very helpful are sprinkled throughout the lessons. - capitalKOhio

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Lesson 1. Introduction

Laura Nelkin is back with a wonderful addition to your knitting: Beads! You'll take a look at the three projects you'll make in this class and learn about the Craftsy platform.

1:16:55

Lesson 2. Techniques

Get help choosing the best beads and yarn for your projects. Then learn three techniques for placing beads. You'll be introduced to nupps and how to fix mistakes.

36:55

Lesson 3. Pioneer Cuff Part 1

Learn to knit a fashionable cuff bracelet! Practice your new bead knitting skills as you begin this small project.

18:31

Lesson 4. Pioneer Cuff Part 2

In this lesson, you'll finish the Pioneer Cuff, changing it from a flat piece of knitting into a bracelet. Bind off, block and add clasps to your cuff.

39:25

Lesson 5. Accola Shawl 1

Learn the basics of choosing yarn and beads, and work up a swatch, which is an important element of any lace project. Laura designed the Accola shawl just for this class.

30:42

Lesson 6. Accola Shawl 2

Now that you have the basics down, begin knitting the Accola. Follow along with Laura row by row as the lace pattern develops. Complete lace charts are included.

1:00:22

Lesson 7. Accola Shawl 3

Create the border and learn to shape the shawl's center panel. Laura shares tips on how to keep track of your place in the pattern and how to pick up stitches.

36:46

Lesson 8. Accola Shawl 4

Time to unzip your provisional cast-on and add the top edging and other finishing touches. Laura also reviews blocking, an important step in any lace project.

22:23

Lesson 9. Clarus Shawl With Beads

The lovely Clarus shawl is a familiar favorite to Laura's students in Mastering Lace Shawls. You'll learn how to add beads to this included pattern.

30:56

Lesson 10. Bonus: Adding Beads to Other Patterns

Once you know how to knit with beads, you'll want to add beaded touches to your other projects. Laura demonstrates on the feather-and-fan and leaf stitch patterns.

The instructor

Laura Nelkin, Instructor of Knitting With Beads

Laura Nelkin lives in upstate New York, where the sunny season is short, leaving plenty of time for knitting indoors. Though she has a degree in apparel design, she took to knitting years ago and hasn't looked back since. Today, she finds herself fascinated with beads and lace. Laura teaches all over the country, runs mystery knit-alongs and even has her own line of knitting kits and self-published patterns. You can find them online, as well as in her book, Knockout Knits.

Ratings & reviews

Class rating

(72 reviews)

Wonderful Class!

by bdarci on February 15, 2015

This is the my third Craftsy class, and the second with Laura Nelkin. I'm dipping in and out of the classes while I knit on some previously promised projects. I can't wait to start knitting along with Laura. She is a marvelously clear, concise and amusing lecturer. The added benefit, which in my mind is priceless, is that you can ask her questions. Laura will answer. That alone makes these classes the best online bargain on the Internet. I can't recommend the classes highly enough. If ...

This is the my third Craftsy class, and the second with Laura Nelkin. I'm dipping in and out of the classes while I knit on some previously promised projects. I can't wait to start knitting along with Laura. She is a marvelously clear, concise and amusing lecturer. The added benefit, which in my mind is priceless, is that you can ask her questions. Laura will answer. That alone makes these classes the best online bargain on the Internet. I can't recommend the classes highly enough. If anyone is interested in learning how to knit lace shawls and how to bead them, this is where to start.

Wonderful Class!

by bdarci on February 15, 2015

This is the my third Craftsy class, and the second with Laura Nelkin. I'm dipping in and out of the classes while I knit on some previously promised projects. I can't wait to start knitting along with Laura. She is a marvelously clear, concise and amusing lecturer. The added benefit, which in my mind is priceless, is that you can ask her questions. Laura will answer. That alone makes these classes the best online bargain on the Internet. I can't recommend the classes highly enough. If ...

This is the my third Craftsy class, and the second with Laura Nelkin. I'm dipping in and out of the classes while I knit on some previously promised projects. I can't wait to start knitting along with Laura. She is a marvelously clear, concise and amusing lecturer. The added benefit, which in my mind is priceless, is that you can ask her questions. Laura will answer. That alone makes these classes the best online bargain on the Internet. I can't recommend the classes highly enough. If anyone is interested in learning how to knit lace shares and how they bead them, this is where to start.

Knitting With Beads includes two complete lace shawl patterns with charts, plus a small beaded cuff project to get you started. One shawl, Accola, was designed just for this class. The other, Clarus, is one of the shawls Laura teaches in her Craftsy class Mastering Lace Shawls.